This Rain Cloud in a Jar Experiment is a great way to engage your children aged 3-6 in conducting a simple science experiment before heading outdoors. Looking up in the sky on an overcast day can be quite relaxing and entertaining.

As I was inviting children to fill in the cup with water and pour colored water over the shaving cream “cloud”, I explained to them that water, when heated, evaporates turning into water vapors. These water vapors turn back into water drops after reaching cold air and stick together forming clouds.
Once clouds become too full of water, water falls back on the ground in the form of rain.
To conduct this experiment, we filled a glass cup 3/4 full of water, created a cloud with shaving cream, and squeezed water with food coloring on top of it using a syringe. (This is a bonus that allows those little fingers to do more exercise and gain strength).

Eventually, it started to produce ☔ a rain-like effect.
Did you know that one cumulus cloud can weigh over 400.000 kg? It is the equivalent of 100 elephants floating over your head! 😃

Make sure to check out our Types of Clouds printable with eight different types of clouds and their descriptions.
It is a great idea to learn about clouds before you head off to your next outdoor adventure to observe different types of clouds with your little explorer!
Please note that shaving cream can be harmful to little children. If you decide to do this experiment with your children you need to make sure that they are continuously supervised and do not touch or ingest the shaving cream.
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About Anastasia | Anastasia is a certified early childhood teacher with over twenty years of experience in Montessori classrooms and homeschooling. As the founder of Montessori Nature, she creates evidence-based, nature-inspired educational printables. Discover more resources on her blog and Teachers Pay Teachers store.




















